Pandora, the Red Rose
by GeekyGenius
Summary: As Aoko stared blankly at the red rose, she realised that Pandora was just like a red rose. Pandora had apparently shined red too, like her red rose. Even though it had it's thorns, Aoko decided that the beauty of this particular red rose helped lessen the stings from the thorns. A story of Aoko overcoming the worst tragedy to befall KID, with some help from the gem Pandora.


AN: Just a little fic I thought up of. Would you believe the hardest thing about writing a fic is naming it? A huge thank you to my amazing Beta Alex Elvan, who cleaned this up for me and was a great support

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Magic Kaito or Detective Conan. Though I did put it on my list to Father Christmas ^~^

"How can someone so happy be hiding so much sadness and anger?"

"It is because he was so happy that he was obviously hiding his sadness. After _that day_ happened, are you able to remember a time where he cried, or got upset, or actually mad?"

Aoko looked shocked for a minute, before shakily answering back. "No, only for a few days right after… that happened. I can't believe it! I called myself his best friend, but I couldn't even see that! Behind his mask…. I wonder… did I even know the real Kuroba Kaito? He had changed so much… I can see it now. But to think that I had to have it _pointed_ out to me!? I should have been there for him! It's too late now."

"No, you just being happy and _normal _was enough."

"What?"

"You two were best friends. He put on the show and the mask, so that you wouldn't be affected and could go about your life normally. He was a magician to make others happy. He couldn't find his own, but he at least wanted you to have yours. He knew how terrible it was, to be unable to obtain happiness, so he worked extra hard to keep you happy. He didn't want you to go through the same thing he did."

A heavy Silence ensued for a brief moment as Aoko stared at the person she had become friends with over the past few months.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I figured that you would mope around and cry unless I did. You still will, and that's okay. Heck, I would if I was in the same situation. But at least by knowing this you will be able to live on. To not would be contradicting everything Kuroba dedicated his life to. He loved you, I don't know if romantically or as a brother would a sister, but he _loved_ you. I am sure he still does."

He looked to the sky from where he was standing, as if gazing up at Kuroba's face in the clouds.

"You know, he hated taking your dad away from you. It wasn't his goal."

"I know. If he didn't have to do it, he wouldn't have. It was a situation where I would get hurt one way or another. You were friends with him, right?"

"I didn't really want to catch him. It was the only place I could go where no-one suddenly dropped dead. And we could be ourselves, if only for a few minutes. He saw through my façade, and although I didn't like it at first, I was eternally grateful. I think I would have gone insane if I hadn't had him there to challenge me and see through my flimsy mask. And, gradually, he dropped his too. We grounded each other in a small bit of reality, the way that even for a few minutes, we could finally be ourselves. We both had people we wanted to protect at all costs. We were always on alert, watching our backs. It was tiring…. I'm sorry, blabbing on when I should be more considerate. You knew him longer than I did."

"No, I loved listening. I want to know everything he did, how he really felt."

"Well, if you wanted, I could tell you some stories of the heists. I think I even recorded a few of them. You would be welcome to watch…. But only if you feel up to it."

"I would love to. I want to have as many memories of him as I can. Thank you."

"Not at all. We did have a deal to make sure that each other's girls were safe should anything happen."

"That sounds just like Kaito." A small smile graced Aoko's lips.

With one last glance back, Aoko looked at the words engraved into the cold stone.

_Here lies Kuroba Kaito,_

_21/06/1997 – 29/05/2015_

_Aspiring magician and the embodiment of_

_joy, bringer of hope and laughter to all he met._

_Rest in peace._

She placed a single red rose by the grave. It was the same one he had given her all those years ago at the clock tower. It had never wilted, but it was real, alive, and not a magician's trick rose. She never found out how he did it. It was probably better that way. She had thought for a long time that Kaito was like the rose. Invincible, ever vibrant. A small part of her still believed that he would come out and surprise her with his goofy smile, like it was the grandest prank he'd ever pulled. But no. As she had stared at the very lifeless body of Kuroba Kaito before they buried him, she knew. He was gone.

Choked up in her own muffled sobs, she didn't register the arms wrapping around her.

'_Please be another trick. PLEASE! Just don't be dead. Stop it. Stop playing dead, Kaito. I know you love your tricks, but this is too far. Just stop it. Stop being dead. You _can't _be dead.'_

Her thoughts were drowning her, and she was struggling to swim to the surface. Rational thought had left long ago, and her sanity wasn't far behind. In the midst of her wailing and shouting, a hand reached out and dragged her out from the pit. Pulled her into a warm embrace. Into safety.

"…. Fine…. But…. Will understand… if Ran?... You know…"

Two voices mixed together and slowly came into focus.

"Kaito?"

Shinichi turned to her. She had gotten up now faced the teen detective.

"Umm… he isn't here…"

"You're wrong. I just heard his…"

"You're right, Aoko." Kaito's voice came from Kudo's body.

"What?"

"When I was shot, Pandora was in my pocket. My soul, my memories, all of me was placed into the gem. The first one to find the gem was Shinichi-kun. I 'downloaded' into his brain. He let me stay, even though I didn't want to intrude on his life. He let me watch you and comfort you, get to do the things I regretted not doing sooner. I was going to hand his body back today… but I saw you crying and couldn't help myself. I had to make sure you would be alright. And to… say goodbye."

"No."

"Aoko!?"

"No, Kaito… you… you stupid baka! Why didn't you tell me straight up!? Then Kudo-kun could have had his life back."

"I'm so sorry Aoko, I…"

The figurative penny dropped.

"You're not angry that I got myself killed?" Kaito stood, flabbergasted, looking an awful lot like one of those f-finny-things he so despised with its mouth hanging open.

"Bakaito, of course I am angry at you for that. But now I know that Bakaito didn't mean to be killed."

A tentative smile appeared on Kaito's face. "Yeah, I let my guard down too much. I thought they wouldn't try anything so soon. It was practically a given that a few would have escaped. But Kudo wouldn't have let me go anyway. He blames himself for getting me killed. It was because Gin mistook me for him after all."

Aoko stood silently shocked, a hand tentatively covering her mouth. To anyone who may have been watching, it looked like she had mistaken Kudo for Kaito. Unbeknownst to her, many of pitying glances were sent her way.

"He… blames himself? Why… no, that's not the question. Do you blame him, Kaito?"

"Of course not, Ahouko. Even he couldn't have predicted or controlled the mind of an Organisation member." Kaito ended with a small aloof smile, nothing like the smirk that KID had, or even the prankster of Ekoda High was known for. It was genuine, not barred behind a mask or controlled.

A comfortable silence reigned for a moment before Aoko began to sob again, more softly this time.

"I'm sorry Kaito, but I can't stop being a blubbering mess. You will have to go soon, won't you?" She smiled regretfully at her feet, the sun's shadow partly obscuring her face, where a few wayward tears could be barely seen trailing down.

"Go? I suppose so, but Shinichi-kun seems pretty determined not to let me leave yet."

"Why? There isn't…. much you can do here. And… you already said… goodbye." Aoko managed through her choked up sobs, her tears having run dry.

"It's a weird feeling… knowing your dead. I know there are so many things I wanted to do before, but I can't do them now. Shinichi-kun seems determined to see me through doing all those things I meant to do before I… well, got shot. He can be quite stubborn when he wants to be." Kaito comically sweat dropped at the memory.

"… Maybe Aoko can convince him."

A grateful glance was sent to her, before turning into a slight-not-well-hidden-grimace.

"I'm terribly sorry for putting you through this. You shouldn't have to resolve my problems. Heck, you shouldn't have to deal with any of this. It was a stupid idea talking to you; it has just made things worse."

"No. The dead are supposed to 'rest in peace', right? Kaito couldn't be at peace if he saw Aoko still crying and pretty much losing herself. I… don't know how much longer it would have taken for Aoko to be fine if Kaito hadn't stepped in."

"You know, for someone wanting Kaito to stay so bad, why didn't he want me to find out about Kaito?"

"Hmm? Oh, he was just paranoid."

The two had moved to the top of a nearby hill that overlooked the cemetery. Aoko was making something resembling a daisy chain while Kaito just laid on his back and stared at the clouds. The tense conversation had long ended, and the feeling of unresolved tension had lifted.

"Aoko?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we get ice cream?"

"You're thinking about ice cream now!?"

A devilish grin surfaced.

"When don't I think of ice cream?" _'Anything to take your mind off the inevitable. I will miss bantering with you and this normalcy._

An eye-roll in response.

"Fine…. Race you!"

Continue reminiscing or enjoy the last moments; it wasn't a hard decision. Race down after her, keeping just enough behind her to keep her on her toes. Genuine smiles and laughter; imprint it all into memory. Slow down, don't crash into her. Wait for the lights; the longer this can last the better. Hear the soft jingle on the door as the cool air from the shop comes up like an unexpected but somewhat anticipated wave. Try not to choose every flavour; this isn't your body. Stick with your absolute favourite. Smile at the server; 'Chocolate please! Cone! Triple…'Try to resist her glare; fail. Try order again; 'Single scoop!' Walk happily out of the store; let her choose the destination. Lick your slice of heaven as you walk to a nearby hill, taller than the last one and further from the cemetery. Engage in small talk as the sun sets; smile in awe. Lick your fingers; say goodbye. 'Thank you for today.' She waves and smiles as you leave; smile genuinely back. She hasn't realised yet the impact of goodbye; turn and walk away before you start to cry. Resist using the poker face; no more lies. The body, not yours, shakes; 'I'm sorry'.

Kudo Shinichi walks solemnly back to the cemetery, stopping in front of a grave decorated with red magician's roses.

'I told you that you needed to stay a bit longer.'

**BACKSTORY:**

This is supposed to be Aoko and Kudo Shinichi talking after Kaito's funeral. Everyone had found out about Kudo being Conan (that was related to KID or Conan/Shinichi) and the Black Organisation had been defeated. Gin had escaped and shot Kaito, mistaking him for Shinichi, before being captured and executed. Kaito arrived at the hospital and went into a comatose state. After 3 months of lying with no signs of recovery, he was taken off the life support system. It was never announced publically that he was KID. Nakamori-keibu and Aoko were told about Kaito being KID before the Black Org. attack. They both took it well - Aoko only screaming at him for a grand total of 37.53 minutes - according to Hakuba - after hearing the reasons, Nakamori-keibu having known that Toichi was the previous KID. Hakuba was brought into the operation by the FBI, tasked with creating confusion about KID's identity.

**AN:**

Hey Sorry for killing Kaito ((not really)). Honestly if Gosho has to kill Kaito or Shinichi I hope something like this happens so that everyone can get closure. If anyone also reads my story _'Dear Ran', _I am continuing it, just on a small hiatus. I only have angst ideas in my head and I _really_ don't want that story to go that way. Thanks for reading ^~^

Feedback to a writer is worth more than gold! I don't mind if you just say 'hi' or just answer the pointless question below, I love to hear from you guys 3

Question for reviews: Which do you prefer to watch/enjoyed more ((for the Detective Conan series only – not all animes))…. Subbed or Dubbed?


End file.
